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Saturday, May 23, 2015

#BookBlogTour ~ Baubles & Beads by Cherime MacFarlane

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Della Street Jones is everyone’s ‘good little girl’ and is tired of the label. Munk Riley is the skinny little thief she shared her lunch with until the family left the Copper Basin. Riley, caught by the Jones family, is given a chance to redeem himself and earns a diesel mechanic certification. All Munk wants is to marry Della and have all the things denied him growing up the only child of an alcoholic mother.

Taking a job without telling her, causes a blow out between them. Embarrassed, Della takes a live-in position at a remote lodge. She finds something that causes her to send an SOS to her family to get her out. Munk will do anything to get her back where she belongs. But does Della belong where everyone else thinks she does? Can they get out without waking the man who controls the underbelly of Alaska?

A tiny little twitch upward at the corners of her mouth at that statement made him groan. "Just this once in my life I want to have something start right. I want it to go the way it's supposed to. I want a preacher to say the words over us, then he'll tell us to kiss and I can take you home and make love to my wife all night long."

Letting go of her arms, Munk watched as she crossed both arms over her chest. "It's because of your mother. That's the reason you want to wait?"

Running both hands through his hair, he looked down at his shoes. "Partially, I guess. Ya, I've screwed other girls. I didn't think I had a hope in hell of winding up with you. After I figured out there might be a chance, I haven't been with another woman. I want it to be right. I want us to be shiny and bright like that bracelet is now, not like it's going to be when it tarnishes."

Her bare feet shuffled closer to him and Munk found his head pillowed against her chest. "I'm so sorry, love. I didn't understand. We'll do it your way. I don't want you to ever feel that way again."

Without thinking about it, his arms went around her. "What way?" he whispered.

"Like you don't matter. Like you're not good enough." Long, delicate fingers combed through his hair. The scent of her rose into his nostrils and he was almost in heaven. "You are a good man and I love you, Munro Lowell Riley. I love everything about you. But, can we at least get married as soon as this miserable job is over? Please?"

Pulling slightly backward, he looked up to find her face turned toward him. "If you get out of this dive. If we go to Palmer on your day off, we can get the damn license and swear to God, the day after I'm away from here we can get married. You can stay in the cabin and set the whole thing up. Have it at the Great grans’ place. I don't care who you invite, but the minute the ceremony is over, we're gone."

"But how are we going to get out of here? You don't have your truck, do you?"

"I'll get us out of here. Let me handle that. How about you tell me what brought this sex thing on? We've never had this come up before."

Della held his head in both hands and kissed him sweetly on the lips, then the forehead, before tugging him against her chest. "I had a dream. I had to go take a shower after it was over."

Breaking away from her, he stood and pushed her hair behind her ears. "You mean like a wet dream. You got hot for me?"

Cheeks flooding with color, Della nodded. "Yes. And I got tired of being everybody's good little girl. I asked Sandy about it and she told me guys like blowjobs."

The color in her cheeks deepened. "She said I was asking the wrong person 'cause she's into girls. And Sandy said I was a hottie."

"She didn't do anything, did she?"

"No. She said she wasn't a cheat and she has a partner at home. But she said a threesome might be fun."

The look on Della's face was so serious, Munk had a hard time holding in a laugh. "Okay, as long as she keeps her hands to herself, we're good."

Taking her wrists in his hands, Munk slowly backed Della toward the bed. "What did you do in the shower, Della? How did you fix it?"

Although born in New Orleans, I am proud to call myself an Alaskan. I have lived here since 1977. I have seen -40 degrees, hauled water, made bear bacon and I live in a cabin. I have used a fishwheel to catch salmon coming up the Copper River. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and roadie. I have cut firewood on shares. I worked as a cocktail waitress during pipeline days in a small lodge on the Richardson Highway.

My second husband, a Scot from Glasgow, was the love of my life. When I write Scots dialect, I personally experienced hearing it from my in laws. When my husband got on the phone to Scotland, after 5 seconds I could barely understand a word.

We moved to Wasilla to get warm. It barely drops past -25 degrees here in the winter. I became a paralegal and worked for over 26 years for the same firm.

Alaska is my home. I never thought I would love it so much, I never want to leave. The beauty of Alaska is a draw I cannot resist. I love the people and the history. I have been captured by a place I came to under duress. Life does play some interesting tricks on one. My love and I were not apart more than 24 hours for 20 plus years. I never wanted to be anywhere but with him. He was a man to run the river with and was my biggest fan.

Next Saturday Cherime will be hosting a Release Party. There will be author takeovers, games, pics, prizes and much more. Join today and enjoy a taste of Alaska as much as Cherime does.

You can enter one of the giveaways now. Follow this link to find out how to win this gorgeous pendant.